1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate to the field of material or article handling systems. More particularly, the present inventions relate to a system and a method for an automated storage and retrieval of rotary dies.
2. Background Art
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a rotary die storage rack 11 for a manual storage and retrieval of a plurality of rotary dies 10. Each rotary die 10 includes an elongated semi-circular body 10a, and a plurality of cutting blades (not shown) mounted to and upwardly extended from a convex surface of body 10a. Rotary die storage rack 11 includes a frame 12, and a plurality of rotary die shelves 13 disposed within and mounted to frame 12. Rotary die shelves 13 form a grid consisting of five (5) horizontal rows and five (5) vertical columns of rotary die shelves 13. Each rotary die shelf 13 is defined by a left angle iron 13a and a right angle iron 13b. The bodies 10a of each stored rotary die 10 have a left longitudinal edge placed upon left angle iron 13a, and a right longitudinal edge placed upon right angle iron 13b. Alternatively, each rotary die shelf 13 can include a board 13c placed upon left angle iron 13a and right angle iron 13b, and the left longitudinal edge and the right longitudinal edge of a body 10a of a rotary die 10 can be placed upon board 13c. Utilization of board 13c enables two or more rotary dies 10 having dissimilar radiuses to be placed upon board 13c.
Prior to the advent of rotary die storage rack 11, the typical storing procedures for rotary dies 10 were to either stand rotary dies 10 on the floor or hang rotary dies 10 from hooks There are several advantages of rotary die storage rack 11 over these aforementioned storing procedures. First, a risk of structural damage to a stored rotary die 10 is reduced when the stored rotary die 10 is being supported by a rotary die shelf 13. Second, a risk of a personal injury to personnel during a storage of rotary dies 10, particularly a risk of being cut by a cutting blade of a stored rotary die 10, is also reduced when rotary dies 10 are being supported by rotary die shelves 13. Finally, rotary die storage rack 11 is a more efficient use of floor space.
A major disadvantage of rotary die storage rack 11 is a number of horizontal rows of rotary die shelves 13 is dictated by a maximum height of a horizontal row of rotary die shelves 13 in which a person can easily and safely manually store and retrieve a rotary die 10. As such, in situations requiring additional rotary die shelves 13 for a storage of extra rotary dies 10, rotary die storage rack 11 can only be laterally expanded to include additional vertical columns of rotary die shelves 13, or an additional rotary die storage rack 11 would have to be made or purchased. However, the appropriation of additional floor space for the additional vertical columns of rotary die shelves 13 or for an additional rotary die storage rack 11 may not be feasible or desirable.